Jazz on Main returns to South on Main tonight with Peter Martin & Romero Lubambo: New Orleans Meets Rio

peter_martin_cropped_2.jpg.190x140_q60_cropJoin the Oxford American magazine for the continuation of their 2014-2015 jazz series at South on Main featuring Peter Martin & Romero Lubambo! This special evening will include a live multi-camera video shoot of the showby AETN – Arkansas Educational Television Network.

The OA jazz series is sponsored by the University of Central Arkansas College of Fine Arts and Communication. Doors open at 6:00 PM with dinner and drinks available at that time. The concert begins at 8:00 PM.

Single tickets went on sale September 1 at $30 for reserved seats at tables and $20 for general admission. Purchasing a reserved seat assigns you to a specific guaranteed seat at a table. However, seating at tables is family-style, and unless you purchase the entire table, you will be seated with other patrons. General admission tickets are good for barstools and standing room, available on a first-come first-served basis.For ticketing questions, please contact Metrotix at (800) 293-5949.

Raised by parents who are both classical musicians, Peter Martin began studying music at the age of three. After graduating from high school, Martin received the Presidential Scholar in the Arts Award from President Reagan. He then attended The Juilliard School in New York on scholarship, studying piano with Martin Canin, until moving to New Orleans in 1990.

While in New Orleans, Martin honed his skills working with key musicians such as Nicholas Payton, Germaine Bazzle, Brian Blade, and Victor Goines. He also embarked on an active solo career and toured and recorded with artists such as Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Chris Botti, Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Martin has performed with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Sydney Symphony, as well as numerous other orchestras around the world. He’s also played at The White House twice.

Martin performed on and arranged Dianne Reeves’ Grammy winning release A Little Moonlight, as well as co-produced her 2004 Blue Note CD Chrismas Time Is Here. He appeared in George Clooney’s 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck and was featured on the movie’s Grammy-winning soundtrack. Wynton Marsalis called Martin, “An unbelievable musician with a unique kind of charisma. Not just the technical competence, but a deep kind of penetrating insight into music.”

In 1985, Romero Lubambo came to the United States, and brought with him a new sound in Brazilian jazz guitar. His guitar playing unites the styles and rhythms of his native Brazilian musical heritage with his fluency in the American jazz tradition, forming a distinctive new sound. From the cool, sophisticated rhythms of his native Brazil to hard bop, Lubambo is a guitarist who’s comfortable in any musical setting. He is an uncommonly gifted soloist and musical improviser with a steady stream of unpredictably creative musical thoughts and the virtuosity to deliver them ever so tastefully.

Lubambo has performed and recorded with many outstanding artists, including Dianne Reeves, Michael Brecker, Yo-Yo Ma, Kathleen Battle, Diana Krall, Wynton Marsalis, and Paquito D’Rivera among many others.

“Guitarist Romero Lubambo may be the best practitioner of his craft in the world today… [his] facility, creativity and energy are in a class all their own.”—JAZZIZ Magazine   

Violinist Randall Goosby at Mosaic Templars this morning, presented by Arkansas Symphony Orchestra

ASO GoosbyToday at 10 a.m., the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, in partnership with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (ASO), presents Randall Goosby.

A young African American violin prodigy, Goosby won the prestigious Sphinx competition at age 13. Goosby is currently enrolled at Juilliard under the instruction of world-class violinists, Itzhak Perlman and Catherine Cho. Goosby is the January guest violinist for ASO and will perform Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 with the orchestra January 31 and February 1.

For more information, call Elvon Reed at 501-683-3592 or email elvon@arkansasheritage.org.

Mosaic Templars Cultural Center is an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

Bijou with Onyx the Band headlines tonight’s Local Live at South on Main

bijoux.jpg.190x140_q60_cropTonight at 7:30, Join the Oxford American magazine for this week’s Local Live free concert at South on Main. Bijoux featuring Onyx the Band is our act this week! Call ahead at (501) 244-9660 to guarantee your seat for this popular series.

Bijoux—a native of Little Rock—is a sultry, soul singer adept in various styles. The daughter of West African parents, Bijoux grew up in a household exposed to differing genres of music including folk, classic rock and roll, makossa, country, and R&B.

Bijoux’s jovial spirit, endearing vocals, vibrant entertaining, and musical versatility make her a perfect artist for any event or atmosphere!

Band members include Quintin Stephens (drums), Jay Starks (bass), Rick Horton (keys).

Sounds of Arkansas celebrated with Arkansas Sounds concert lineup

arkansas_sounds_2013In 2015, Arkansas Sounds’ monthly concert series features diverse artists ranging from progressive jazz to historic folk music. For concerts at the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS)Ron Robinson Theater, 100 River Market Ave., tickets may be purchased atwww.arkansassounds.org and Butler Center Galleries, 401 President Clinton Ave. Tickets purchased online will not be mailed, but may be picked up in the theater’s lobby one hour prior to the show. For the concert at Hillcrest Hall, 1501 Kavanaugh Blvd., tickets may be purchased at the door one hour prior to the event. For concerts with free admission, reservations are not required. For more information, call 501-918-3033.

Charley Sandage & Harmony

Friday, February 13, 7:30 p.m., Free

Ron Robinson Theater

Charley Sandage and Harmony, a Mountain View trio comprising Mary and Robert Gillihan and Dave Smith, perform original songs that tell stories about people and events that shaped Arkansas. The group plays traditional instruments including fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, autoharp, bass, button accordion, harmonica, pickin’ bow, and spoons.

 

Bill Frisell & Kenny Wollesen

Monday, February 23, 7 p.m., $20 General Admission

Ron Robinson Theater

Bill Frisell is a jazz guitarist, composer, and arranger whose eclectic style touches on progressive folk, classical, country, and noise music. He has released over 30 albums, received numerous Grammy nominations, and won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 2005. Kenny Wollesen, a drummer and percussionist, has recorded and toured with artists such as Tom Waits, Sean Lennon, Norah Jones, and John Zorn, among many others.

 

Celtic Cultural Celebration Featuring Lyon College Pipe Band

Saturday, March 14, 7 p.m., Free

Ron Robinson Theater

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, celebrate Celtic culture with an Arkansas Sounds concert, featuring the Lyon College Pipe Band, an award-winning bagpipe band from Batesville, Arkansas. The concert will include traditional Scottish bagpipe music, Scottish and Irish dancers, and a ceilidh (Celtic) band with guitars, accordions, uilleann (Irish) pipes, and singers.

 

Brian Nahlen

Friday, April 17, 7 p.m., $5 General Admission

Hillcrest Hall

Singer/songwriter Brian Nahlen, a North Little Rock native, will perform a few Beatles favorites, such as “Blackbird,” “Norwegian Wood,” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and original music from his debut album, Better Than I Thought It Could Be, to be released in February, 2015.

 

The Wildflowers (Amy Garland, Bonnie Montgomery, Mandy McBryde)

Friday, May 29, 7 p.m., $10 General Admission

Ron Robinson Theater

Amy Garland, Bonnie Montgomery, and Mandy McBryde have recently formed the Wildflowers, performing music with folk, country, rock, and blues influences. This concert will feature a brief solo set by each artist, followed up with a full set to be performed by the trio with a backing band.

 

Arkansas Sounds is a project of the Butler Center focusing on Arkansas music and musicians past and present. For more information, visit www.arkansassounds.org or call 501-918-3033.

Mozart’s THE MAGIC FLUTE brings opera back to LR in joint venture of ASO and Opera in the Rock

680 Magic Flute LogoFully-staged, full-length opera returns to the Rock for the first time in over a decade tonight and tomorrow!

The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Philip Mann, Music Director and Conductor, in partnership with Opera In The Rock, opens the 2014-2015 Intimate Neighborhood Concerts series with Mozart’s Magic Flute. Performances are on Thursday, January 22nd and Friday January 23rd at 7 p.m. at the Albert Pike Masonic Center in downtown Little Rock.  Dancers from Arkansas Festival Ballet also appear in the performances which is stage directed by Robert Hupp, Producing Artistic Director of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

The opera is filled with symbolism, especially focused on the number three.  Examples include the opening with Der Dreimalige Akkord, the thrice-repeated chord, three Ladies, three Spirits, and even the selection of key: E-flat major in three flats.

Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) was written during the last year of Mozart’s life (1791). The opera was composed in the style of Singspiel (using sung and spoken text) and was an outlet for Mozart’s Masonic belief.

Magic Flute was an immediate success, performed over 100 times in the first two years of its existence. Mozart was not alive to see the 100th performance, having died only months after the premiere.

Tickets are $25; active duty military and student tickets are $10 are can be purchased online ; at the Albert Pike Masonic Center beginning 60 minutes prior to the concert; or by phone at 501-666-1761, ext. 100.  The Friday performance is sold out, but tickets remain for tonight’s opening.

CAST
Dana Pundt, Queen of the Night
Nicholas Nelson, Sarastro
Darren Drone, Papageno
Genevieve West Fulks, Papagena
Vernon DiCarlo, Tamino
Bonnie Frauenthal, Pamina

Others in the cast include Maria Fasciano DiCarlo, Stephanie Smittle, Kelley Ponder, Daniel Foltz-Morrison, Suzanne Banister, Kathryne Overturf, Satia Spencer, Robert Holden, Luke Frauenthal, Chase Burns and Sam Prescott

CHORUS
Sopranos: Alisa Dixon, Hayley Coughlin, Margaret McMurray, LaSheena Gordon
Altos: Claire Wilkinson, Melissa Wilcox, Sarah Blakey
Tenors: Adam Baldwin, Aaron Baker, Jonathan Treloggen, Josiah Wheeler, Sage Shaddox
Basses: J.J. Albrecht, Luke Frauenthal

PROGRAM
MOZART: Die Zauberflöte, K. 620 (text by Ruth and Thomas Martin)

About the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 49th season in 2014-2015, under the leadership of Music Director Philip Mann. ASO is the resident orchestra of Robinson Center Music Hall, and performs more than sixty concerts each year for more than 165,000 people through its Stella Boyle Smith Masterworks Series, ACXIOM Pops LIVE! Series, River Rhapsodies Chamber Music Series, and numerous concerts performed around the state of Arkansas, in addition to serving central Arkansas through numerous community outreach programs and bringing live symphonic music education to over 26,000 school children and over 200 schools.

Opera In The Rock
Opera in the Rock is 501(c)3 professional opera company that was formed in the spring of 2012. Our mission is to enrich the cultural life of Arkansas through opera by utilizing local, state and regional talents. Our purpose is to produce main stage opera and a continuing opera review series, in addition to providing educational and outreach programs for our community youth through the Jennifer Boccarossa Young Artist Program. Our goal is to provide local, state and regional talents an opportunity to further their artistic careers. Opera In The Rock is partially funded by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

YTOG featuring Matt Dickson on tap for Local Live at South on Main tonight

ytog_cropped.jpg.190x140_q60_cropJoin the Oxford American magazine at South on Main this week for the free Local Live music series, welcoming YTOG featuring Matt Dickson! Call ahead and make a reservation to ensure your seat.

YTOG is a group of Little Rock musicians that have been forming a bond over the last two years.  Little Rock stalwarts Ted Seibs (drums) and Walter Henderson (trumpet) anchor a band steeped in local musical culture and tradition.  Chris Michaels (bass), Matt Dickson (saxophone), and Chris Parker (piano) round out the quintet.

The music gets going at 7:30 p.m.  In order to assure a place to view them, show up early – grab a bite or a drink.

Tonight at South on Main – Big Piph & Tomorrow Maybe

bigpiph2Tonight at 10pm, join the Oxford American magazine for a special release event for the new Big Piph & Tomorrow Maybe project: Cell Therapy! Tickets are $10 each, cash only at the door. Come celebrate Big Piph’s last Arkansas show before embarking on AMA Overseas Tour for several months.

Big Piph & Tomorrow Maybe is a fusion of funk, soul, and rock mixed nicely over a hip-hop foundation. Six musicians and vocalists with their own bands and followings combined with lead emcee, Big Piph, to form a creation all of their own. Come jam with them one last time before they leave the country for a month long tour in Africa. Their latest project, Cell Therapy: The Unplugged, Unauthorized Session of Big Piph & Tomorrow Maybe will also be newly available for purchase.

Performing as Big Piph & Tomorrow Maybe: Big Piph (lead vocalist), Bijoux (vocalist), Dee Dee Jones (vocalist), Corey Harris (bass), Lucas “Cool Hand” Murray (lead guitar), Dre Franklin (keys), and Paul Campbell (percussion).